Game of Thrones: Arya

Lets keep in mind that this is not a full breakdown of everything GOT, but more a primer of what has happened and what you need to know moving forward. (Example, the whole Drago storyline and Viserys? Not really needed since that’s a dead thread and everyone involved is dead.)
There are also a ton of minor players who will get their treatment.
Again, keep in mind, neither EJ or David have read the books, and don’t be that asshole that spoils the series for no reason but evil glee. What the hell is wrong with you? So if we miss something IN THE SHOW, by all means let us know.

Arya Stark

Youngest daughter of Ned Stark.
We started off with Arya as a tomboyish little girl running around Kings Landing. She witnessed her father being killed, but was smuggled out of King’s Landing by one of her father’s freinds to head toward the Wall, where she could be dropped off enroute. During the trip, she freed 3 men from a cart, and earned the right to name 3 men to die by Jaqen H’ghar. Even so, Arya and the others were captured and ended up as a servant of Tywin Lannister, who in retrospect gives her some hard lessions on life. She was able to escape with Jaqen H’ghar, Gendry and Hotpie. After successfully escaping, Jaqen gives her an iron coin and tells her to give it to any Braavosi and say “Valar morghulis” if she ever needs to find him. They run into the Brotherhood Without Banners, and after being seperated from Gendry she escapes from the Brotherhood Without Banners but is captured by Ser Sandor Clegane “The Hound” who wants to sell her to her mother, but then came upon the Red Wedding. Next he turns to the Vale to sell her to her aunt, but her Aunt has died, something that almost breaks the young girl. She’s been trained with a sword, but didn’t kill anyone until late in Season 3, when she killed a man for bragging about putting Robbs Direwolfs head on a stake. He won’t be the last. The Hound almost seemed like a second father to her, before he lost a duel with Brienne of Tarth and most likely died. Not trusting Brienne, Arya decides she wants revenge, and finds a Braavosi boat, and goes to the temple of the many-faced god, to become a faceless man. During her training, she comes across Ser Meryn Trant, whom she kills for his deeds back in Kings Landing. Back at the Temple, Jaqen H’ghar tells her that she took a life that wasn’t hers, and is struck blind.

Earl: When we last see Arya, she has lost her eye sight and now she has to rely on her other senses if she is going to become a Faceless Man. It seems like Arya’s plight has taken her all over the Seven Kingdoms, but as we start Season Six, I would like to know where is she going to be when this whole thing is said and done. Arya is one of my favorite characters on this show and if I had my way, I would bring her back together with her surviving sister and brothers, but I doubt that’s how this ends. I just hope it all ends good for her, though.

David: Well, here we have a problem. Arya has lost almost all of her family, and thinks she has lost them all but Jon Snow, and wants revenge. She’s become cold, and directionless. Her last gasp was Jaqen H’ghar – almost like joining the French Forgein Legion. The problem with that, is its not like you can serve for a few years and then leave to come home. I don’t think you can exactly resign. So I don’t exactly envision a scenario where Arya comes back across the narrow sea, triple damage backstabs everyone and climbs the throne. I really can’t see her hooking up with Gendry and ruling Winterfell. So her part in the Game, I honestly think is over. GRRM has painted her into a corner. If she comes back and kills Cersei, or affects the game in such a manner, I really think she dies. She has not given herself over to the House of Black and White, as shown by her keeping Needle instead of throwing it into the sea, and if not for her popularity (and stunningly well acted, she might be the third best performer on the show) I could see her vanishing for a season or entirely.

Jaqen H’ghar

Saved by Arya, while he was enroute to the Wall. He gives her the power over him to kill three people. She names 2 and declares him the third if he won’t help her and Gendry and a few others escape the Lannisters, she relents, and unnames him. He leaves her, but gives her an Iron coin, and says if she meets any of his people, she needs to say “Valar Morghulis” (All Men Must Die) if she needs help. Out of family options (she thinks) Arya shows up at the house of Black and White to become a faceless man. Her first mission is to take out an insurance man that is cheating people, but Arya is distracted by the appearance of Meryn Trant, she fails. This costs Arya her sight, but she is allowed to continue training.

Earl: I like Jaqen H’ghar and we are going to see a lot of Jaqen and The Waif this season, but the question I have is do we really need Jaqen? Arya’s storyline needs to hit fast forward in my opinion and it needs to be sans Jaqen. He’s a good character and I’m sure we’ll see a lot of him mentoring Arya but I can’t help but feel that it is time to move on.

David: Lots of fun here with the Faceless man, but I kinda gave my problems with the Arya arc with her primer. I do like Jaqen as a character, but the only All-Knowing person I want in Game of Thrones is Varys.

The Waif

Unknown where she came from, but she is also being trained in the House of Black and White, and apparently is ahead of Arya in training. She either doesn’t like Arya or is competing with her, or might even be helping train her.

Earl: Oh we’re going to see The Waif. Someone needs to give Arya some shit, and The Waif seems more than capable of plucking Arya’s last nerve.

David: Wouldn’t it be amazing if the Waif and Jaqen were the same person? No? Worth a shot.

Tycho Nestoris

The Iron Throne is in debt to the Iron Bank, who, like the mob, have all kinds of money, but also like the mob, you don’t want to get past due on the payments. After giving some money to Stannis to try and get their money back (after Littlefinger and Tyrion leave, the Master of Coin isn’t exactly being run by EF Hutton) Mace Tyrell is sent to Braavos to try and rework the deal.

Earl: We might get one more scene with Tycho since we didn’t get to see how Mace’s trip to Braavos ends but he’s so minor that I don’t think we’ll see more than a scene or two in Season Six. Unless the Iron Bank decides to get the money owed to them by force, there isn’t much need for them here.

David: This could cause problems. I mean Germany taking over the Sudenland to get their money back type problems- and when the Lannister Lands show to be empty gold mines, then we really have problems.

Yezzan zo Qaggaz

Yezzan zo Qaggaz is a slave-trader from the city of Meereen and one of the Great Masters who are, as of season five, the for rulers of the city. He buys Jorah Mormont and Tyrion Lannister after they are captured by Malko and takes them to a fighting pit to train as gladiators.

Earl: Forgot all about this dude until the words cock merchant randomly popped into my head. Anyway, I doubt we’ll see this guy going forward.

David: Should have been in the Jorah group, my bad, but at least on the same side of the narrow sea, right? Who knows if we are going to see him, but he’s got money and manpower, and he knows where Tyrion is- and there is that Lord title Cersei is going to give whomever gives her Tyrion’s head

Mace Tyrell

Lord of Highgarden, Defender of the Marches, High Marshal of the Reach, and Warden of the South, Head of House Tyrell, Mace is a member of the small council, Master of Ships, and promoted to Master of Coin while Littlefinger is out running around the country (with Sansa). Cersei names him to the position and then sends him to the Iron Bank to try and get a better deal. Ser Meryn Trant was sent with him as a bodyguard, and there is a possibility Mace wasn’t coming back, but Arya has killed Trant, so Mace is coming back, and who knows what he’s going to do, if anything, about his kids being in Jail.

Earl: Mace is still in Braavos but I can see him rushed out of there pretty quickly if Lady Olenna makes that call. The man is really a puppet to the whims of women. Be it Olenna or Cersei, so I don’t know if there is much to Mace in Braavos to be honest. I like Mace though. I like the fact that he thinks he’s self-important when he really has no role whatsoever. It’s funny to me. Mace is comic relief in a show that doesn’t have much use for comedy.

David: His mother doesn’t like him, and he’s a bit of an idiot, but being a rich idiot, he’s gotten away with it. You know, just like in our world. I kinda feel for this dolt, caught between an awesome Queen of Thrones and some kids that have done some serious work. I think it he lives to come back to Westeros, I would like to see him throw up some spine and do some work.

Simple little Question this week. What’s your take on this season, the major players moving forward, and this episode? Earl: Season finale episodes of Game of Thrones tend to be a letdown because they typically […]